Any one with 2006 Saturn Vue have passenger "Air Bag" Problem

[RVDriver]

Seeing as there seem to be a lot of Vue owners here, I just bought one July 3rd. All set to tow now, but! My wife is 5 ft tall, weighs about 1XX lbs, she weighed 105 40 years ago, gained some, she sits on a cushin, Air Bag turns off. Dealer first said that was for childern who weighed less than 85 lbs, Federal Law, must turn "Air Bag" off. My weight is in excess of 270 lbs, if I sit on a cusion it also will not come on, it is not senseing weight!

we have one very narror cushin (She my wife has made 4 of them) that works, but due to shape is very uncomfortable to sit on.

Dealer is to call back tomowrrow, but I doubt he (they) will do anything.

My wife has said she is going to ride in the back seat when we go to Texas next winter, I said BS! Dealer said didn't we check it out on the Test Drive, I said BS, this is my second Saturn from same dealer, my salesperson is very nice she is working with me, anmd heading higher up in the Saturn Orginzation.

Bruce

[RVDriver]

Seeing as there seem to be a lot of Vue owners here, I just bought one July 3rd. All set to tow now, but! My wife is 5 ft tall, weighs about 1XX lbs, she weighed 105 40 years ago, gained some, she sits on a cushin, Air Bag turns off. Dealer first said that was for childern who weighed less than 85 lbs, Federal Law, must turn "Air Bag" off. My weight is in excess of 270 lbs, if I sit on a cusion it also will not come on, it is not senseing weight!

we have one very narror cushin (She my wife has made 4 of them) that works, but due to shape is very uncomfortable to sit on.

Dealer is to call back tomowrrow, but I doubt he (they) will do anything.

My wife has said she is going to ride in the back seat when we go to Texas next winter, I said BS! Dealer said didn't we check it out on the Test Drive, I said BS, this is my second Saturn from same dealer, my salesperson is very nice she is working with me, anmd heading higher up in the Saturn Orginzation.

Bruce

[PHESPE]

If you have modified the seat [added or use additional cushions, belts braces, bolsters, seat liners etc.] and that changes the ability of the airbag weight sensor to detect that a passenger is using the seat; it is not Saturn's responsibility nor is it a warranty issue.

Your modifications have defeated the safety devices provided by Saturn and should not be used.

PHESPE

[RVDriver]

Phespe,

That is exactly what I said, "it is not senseing weight" I weigh 270 lb, and am unable to turn it on, if it sensed weight, you or (the Dealer) should be able to adjust it! All people are not created equal!

Bruce

[Hemi]

We bought a new Saturn Vue; can you tell me what arrangements you have to make to tow it.

1. What type of braking system do you adapt to the Vue?

2. We have automatic transmission; can we tow it.

3. What other arrangements to we have to make?

Thanks, HEMI

[PHESPE]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RVDriver:
Phespe,

That is exactly what I said, "it is not senseing weight" I weigh 270 lb, and am unable to turn it on, if it sensed weight, you or (the Dealer) should be able to adjust it! All people are not created equal!

Bruce </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Will it sense your 270 lbs IF the you ARE NOT sitting on the CUSHION?

PHESPE

[RVDriver]

Yes it works fine no problem, the problem is a short wife, who also is "short waisted" from the belt line to the top of her head. When she first recieved a drivers license, there was a restriction on it, "Must use Seat Cusion", since all of our cars since we got married 39 years ago have had electric drivers seats, the state removed the restriction. But as a passenger she has always sat on a cushion. "So she can see out the front windshield!

Its just that so far the dealer has not given "how the Airbag works", It is not weight, I proved that.

Bruce

PS Another trip to the Dealer next week! I am just looking for backup information.

[chasfm11]

I'm sorry to hear about your plight. While I've driven VUEs, I don't own one and cannot contribute any technical information to help you. I do have a couple of other thoughts, however:
1. You are dealing with the results of government regulations. People wouldn't keep their small kids out of the front seats so we all now have safety mechanisms to try to deal with that situation. Like a lot of other government regs, this one doesn't fit all needs and your wife just happens to be caught in one of those exceptions.
2. Even if you had no regulations involved, you are dealing with an organization (GM)that is notorious (IMHO) for disregarding customers. I had sworn never to buy another GM product and then a buddy talked me into a Saturn because he convinced me they were doing things differently. We've had our a long time (12 years) but my dealings with Saturn in that time proved to me that inspite of their advertizing, they are still a part of GM and that whole corporate culture. I did several escalations about situations that I faced on our Saturn over the years, all to no avail. Try going through their chain of command if you feel compelled to do so but I'll predict your outcome now.

There has got to be a better, more creative way of getting you where you need to be than playing Don Quixote with Saturn's windmill. JMHO

[RV Wizard]

Hemi, in the owners manual are the instructions on how to tow the Vue. There is also another thread discussing this topic you should read. Good luck and stay safe.

[lwmuddy]

Can the sensor contacts be shorted out to simulate a person sitting in the seat. It must be weight sensitive, but the pillows are spreading the weight to much.

Put a couple of barbell weights on the seat first to trip the sensor,then the pillows on top.

Just an idea from a mad inventor.

[RVDriver]

Problem Solved! Wife made a new cushin,to fit inside the trim (outer) in other words it is the same size as the fabric in the seat, not as large as the "leather trim" (read that "Plastic")! Works now, but it took four (4) cushins!!

Bruce

[GStream40]

Bruce,

One of the reasons that the air bag is disable with children is because of the injuries that children get when the airbag goes off during a wreck.

I was wondering if your small framed wife would also fall into this category as the children and if the airbag would also cause more injuries to your wife during a wreck?

Ron

[RVDriver]

Ron,you said:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I was wondering if your small framed wife would also fall into this category as the children and if the airbag would also cause more injuries to your wife during a wreck? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well I agree if she was not sitting higher, Not on her cushin! When she is sitting on her cushin that now turns the "Air Bag" on, she is higher, and the "Air Bar" should work as originally designed.

So If I did nothing I would agree with you, but I pay for a working "Air Bag" and now it does, without modifying the "Saturn Vue".

Bruce